Liquid fuel pump metering and dispensing device



June 5, 1962 N 3,037,667

LIQUID FUEL PUMP METERING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 12, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ INVENTOR.

Termnee Chin BY Maxwell E. Sparrow ATTORNEY;

3,037,667 LIQUID FUEL PUMP METERING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 12, 1960 T- CHIN June 5, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Terrance C h in Moxwell E. Sparrow ATTORNEY.

T. CHIN 3,037,667

LIQUID FUEL. PUMP METERING AND DISPENSING DEVICE 4 Sheets- Sheet 3 June 5, 1962 Filed May 12, 1960 v R E m w mum m m m MC m m Emmi :mj a T m .1. & m E. A I r u n n 3 v j m A m "m w ,H

June 5, 1962 T. CHIN 3,

(LIQUID FUEL PUMP METERING AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed May 12, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG."

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VIII/IA ates This invention relates to devices for mechanically metering and dispensing commodities, particularly in a liquid state. More specifically, this invention is a device for metering and dispensing gasoline or like liquid fuels from a pump in preselected amounts and automatically stopping the dispensing process after a preselected amount has been discharged from the pump commensurate with and according to a preset money value selectively indicated on the pump.

It is known that motorists often buy gasoline or like liquid fuel in filling stations by requesting fuel according to a set amount of money (for example, $2.00 worth) rather than requesting to fill the tank up. At the present time, in order to comply with this request the filling station attendant has to stand by the gasoline pump and to watch the built-in metering device until the desired amount in dollars and cents is indicated on the counting dials, whereupon he shuts off the flow of fuel by hand. Obviously, he is tied up during this operation and cannot do anything else. In case the attendant is alone in his station, other customers have to wait until it will be their turn, which usually is not a desirable situation, especially during the late hours or at night or during rush-hours. Therefore, larger filling stations are forced to keep several attendants on duty even during time periods when only little business is done. This adds considerably to the overhead costs of operation of filling stations and affects their economy.

Attempts have been made from time to time to overcome this disadvantage by providing devices on pumps by which a predetermined amount, either in money value or in quantity of fuel, could be delivered, whereupon the flow of the fuel could be stopped by the pumps mechanism. These attempts have failed in practice, mainly because they were either operated electrically or because they could not be adapted to the great number of existing gasoline pumps, or for both reasons. The installation of switches, solenoids or other electrically operated means creates a hazardous and dangerous situation, especially on the fuel dispensing nozzle where the Whole surrounding atmosphere is saturated with a fuel-vapor and air mixture during the tank filling process and especially during the time when the tank is approximately full and the device is supposed to operate. This mixture is well known to be highly explosive and responding even to a minor spark which easily could occur when the insulation of the wire leading adjacent the fuel hose becomes weak or defective from continuous use and under the influence of the solvent action of the fuel itself. Many more occurrences of sparking or short-circuiting could be enumerated, and all these considerations have ruled out the application of electrical means for the purpose mentioned above, rendering all these prior devices inoperative.

By this invention it is intended to overcome these difficulties and disadvantages.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereafter and in part will be obvious herefrom or may be learned by practicing the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims. The invention consists in such novel features, arrangements and combinations of parts and improvements as may be shown and described in connection with the apparatusherein disclosed by way of example only and as illustrative of a preferred embodiment.

3&37567 Patented June 5, 1962 It is an object of this invention to provide for purely mechanical means to shut off automatically the flow of liquid fuel when a preselected amount, counted in terms of money or quantity of fuel has been dispensed.

Another object of the invention is to provide for new and improved preselecting and counting means which can be added and adapted to all presently existing filling pumps without major alterations of same.

Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide for mechanical means to be installed on existing filling nozzle valves for shutting otf the fuel valve therein when the preselected count is reached.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide for adjustable automatic dispensing means for liquid fuels which does not create fire or explosion hazards.

A further object of this invention is to provide for a device which is simple, efficient, durable and reliable, nonhazardous, and which can be manufactured economically.

Various further and more specific purposes, features and advantages will clearly appear from the detailed description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and illustrate merely by way of example one embodiment of the device of the invention.

In the following description and in the claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings. 7

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a liquid fuel, or gasoline FIG. 2 is a side view of the pump shown in FIG. 1, seen in the direction of the arrow A;

FIG. 3 is a face view of the preselecting dials on the FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section, partly broken away, of a filling nozzle valve, according to the invention;

FIG. 5 is a top View of the cover plate of the filling nozzle valve shown in FIG. 4, seen in the direction of the arrow B;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the auxiliary air valve in the filling nozzle valve, taken along the line 6-6 in FIG. 5, in its open position;

FIG. 7 is a view of the cross-section shown in FIG. 6, with the auxiliary air valve in the closed position;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the counting and preselecting device;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 8, taken in the direction of the arrow 9'-9;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section of the counting and preselecting device shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a view of the ratchet-and-pawl mechanism in the mechanism shown in FIG. 10, seen from the line 1ll11; and

FIG. 12 is a detail view of the cam-operated linkage for operating the shut-off device, seen in the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 10.

In one of its aspects the invention provides in a liquid fuel pump which has metering and counting means provided with gears and a dispensing nozzle which is connected by a hose with the pump, the nozzle having a manually operated valve, a money value preselecting and shut-off mechanism having dials settableby hand and cam means corresponding to said dials, means for presetting the shut-off mechanism for a preselected money value, linkage means operated by the presetting means, a flexible push-pull cable connected to the linkage means, a lever equipped rotatable auxiliary air valve in the dispensing nozzle, the lever being connected to the cable for shutting off the valve corresponding to the action of the cam means when a preselected amount is reached.

is added to the standard dollar counting wheels.

Below lever 39 is a plate 39' which is secured to cover 45.

Referring'now in more detail to the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment by which the invention may be realized, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a conventionalgasoline pump 21 with the well-known gasoline hose 22 having the valve-nozzle 23 at the end thereof. In the gasoline pump 21 is the metering and counting device 24, having counting wheels for indicating the metered amount in dollars and in gallons. An additional counting device, designated generally by the numeral 25, This additional counting device 25 has a preselecting mechanism, which will be explained in more detail in connection with FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 11, and in addition it has a shut-off mechanism which also will become known from FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and 12. This shut-off mechanism operates over a flexible push-pull cable 27 the auxiliary air valve 36 in the valve nozzle shown in FIG. 4. The preselecting mechanism has a shaft arrangement which leads to the outside of the gasoline pump 21 and has there a dial assembly 26 comprising individual but concentrically arranged dials 26a, 26b and 260 for dollars, dimes and cents, respectively.

In the valve nozzle, which mechanism as shown in FIG. 4, is the main shut-off valve 30 operated by the lever 31 and the'spring 32. There also is the vacuum chamber 33 having the diaphragm and piston mechanism 34 which, for example, is described in US. Patent 2,582,195. The air line 35, however, according to this invention leads to a rotary valve 36 having a channel 37 therein, said rotary valve having a stem 38 to which a lever 39 is attached, On the lever 39 is a stud 40, to which the cable 27' of the push-pull cable 27 is fastened. The cable 27 is firmly held by means of suitable fixtures 41 and 42 which are anchored in a bracket 43. Between fixture 42 and stud there is located a compression spring 44 providing a force for the return stroke of the push-pull cable 27'. The rotary valve 36 and the bracket 43 are assembled on a cover 45'which is fastened to the body of the valve nozzle 23.

The additional counting device 25, which has a preselecting mechanism, as mentioned above, is shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 and consists of a housing which can be fastened at the frame of an existing metering and counting device 24 inside a gasoline pump. Iournalled in a bearing 51 and in the side wall 52 of the housing '50 is a hollow shaft assembly comprising the first hollow shaft 53, the second hollow shaft 54 inside the first hollow shaft 53 and shaft 55 inside the second hollow shaft 54. On the first hollow shaft 53 is fixed by a pin 56 a cam 57 having one drop 58. On the other end of said first hollow shaft 53 is fixed a dial 26a by a setscrew 60. On the cam 57, two pawls 62 and 62 are pivotally mounted diametrally opposite one .another on studs 63 and 63 and loaded by leaf springs 64 and 64. Adjacent said cam .57 is a ratchet wheel 59 firmly attached to a gear 61 freely rotating on the second hollow shaft 54, said ratchet wheel 59 being engaged by said pawls 62 and 62'. In a similar way, a .cam 65 corresponding to cam 57, is fixed by a pin 66 on the second hollow shaft 54, and a dial 26b is secured to said second hollow shaft 54 by a setscrew 67 on the other end thereof. On the cam 65 are two pawls 69, 69 pivotally mounted on studs 70, 70' and loaded by leaf springs 71, 71' (not visible in the drawings). Adjacent said cam 57 is a ratchet wheel 72 firmly attached to a gear 68, freely rotating on shaft 55, said ratchet wheel 72 being engaged by said pawls 69, 69'. A third cam 73 having pawls 74, 74' mounted on studs and loaded by leaf springs (not visible in the drawings), corresponding to cam 57, pawls 62, 62', studs 63, 63' and springs 64, 64', respectively, is secured by a pin 77 to shaft 55, to which on the other end the dial 26c is secured by a pin 78. Adjacent cam 73 is a ratchet wheel 79 firmly attached to a gear 80, freely rotating on 4 shaft 55, said ratchet wheel in turn being engaged by the pawls 74, 74' of the cam 73.

Parallel to the hollow shafts 53, 54, 55 and at a suitable distance therefrom is a shaft 81, rotatably held in bushings 82, 82 in the sidewalls of the housing 50. Three cam follower arms 83, 84, 85 are firmly attached by pins 86, 87, 88 to said shaft 81. The cam follower arms have cam follower rollers 89, 90, 91 mounted thereon on studs 92, '93, 94, said cam follower rollers being in engagement with the cams 57, 65 and 73, respectively. Two cam follower arms 84, 85 are short, while cam follower arm 83 extends over the shafts 53, 54, 55 to the rear of the assembly and is there connected by a rotatable stud 95 to a linkage composed of a connecting link 96' and a bell-crank lever 97, the latter being pivotally mounted on a bracket 98, said bracket being attached to the housing 50. On one arm of the bellcrank lever 97 is a rotatable vertical stud 99 having a clamping screw 100 therein for clamping the cable 27' of said flexible push-pull cable 27, which itself is secured by fixtures 46, '47 to the housing 50.

Another shaft 101 ('FIGS. 8 and 9) is arranged parallel to said hollow shafts 53, 54, 55 for carrying the two idler gears 102 and 103, which connect the gears 104 and 105 of the metering and counting device 24 of the gasoline pump with the gears 61 and '68, having the same diameter as said gears 104 and 105, for driving same. Similarly an idler gear 106 mounted on a shaft 107 (not visible in the drawing) drivingly connectsgear 80 with gear 108 of the-metering device 24.

Operation When it is desired to dispense only a certain quantity of fuel for a corresponding amount of money (instead of filling up the tank of an automobile) the dials 26a, 26b and 260 are set at that amount in dollars, dimes and cents. The cams 57, 65 and 73 thereby are set accordingly with the pawls indexing over the ratchets which remain stationary because they are attached to the gears 61, 68 and 80 which in turn are held by the gears of the metering and counting device of the gasoline pump. When now the flow of the fuel is started by opening the valve 30 in the valve nozzle, the metering and counting device starts running as usual, rotating the cents wheel continuously and indexing the dime and dollar wheel in increments of 10 in the well known way of all digital counting mechanisms. By the connection of the gears of the preselecting device, to which the ratchets are attached, and by the engagement of the pawls with the ratchets, the former being attached to the cams, the cams now rotate in the same increments as the dollar, dime and cents wheels, and when all three cams are rotated back to their zero position, the three cam follower rollers 89, 90, 91 can drop together into the single recess 58 of said cams because they are pinned to their common shaft 81. Individually they cannot drop, thus insuring that the release only can take place when the preset amount is reached. The corresponding movement of cam follower arm 83 permits spring 44 which was in the compressed state during the riding of the cam follower roller on the high diameter of the cam, to'expand and to shift the auxiliary air valve 36 from its originally open position, as shown in FIG. 6, to the closed position as shown in FIG. 7. Thereby the flow of air, sucked in by the venturi action in the valve 30, is interrupted, a vacuum builds up immediately in the vacuum chamber 33, whereby the valve 30 is shut off in the known way. Obviously when the three cams 57, 6'5 and 73 have been rotated and indexed, respectively, back to their zero position, the three dials 26a, 26b and 260 also have returned to zero. Thereby the entire mechanism is reset and ready for the next dispensing operation.

The conventional operation of the valve nozzle for filling a tank of an automobile completely remains unchanged. In this case it is only necessary for the operator to set the dials 26a, 26b and 26c at the highest value, that is at 999, whereby the auxiliary valve 36 remains open, because the quantity of fuel required for filling the tank is not large enough to reach such an amount. The shut-ofi in this case happens in the usual way when the tank is filled and the air line 35 is closed by the fuel.

While the invention has been described and illustrated with respect to a certain particular preferred example which gives satisfactory results, it will be understood by those skilled in the art, after understanding the principle of the invention, that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

I claim:

1. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having a metering and counting means provided with gears and further having a dispensing nozzle provided with a manually operated valve, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value preselccting and shut-off mechanism comprising a plurality of concentric shafts having dials settable by hand and cams corresponding to said dials, spring-loaded pawls secured to said cams, gearslaterally arranged of said cams on said con-centric shafts, said gears being freely rotatable and being driven by said gears of said means, ratchet wheels secured 'to said freely rotatable gears, said ratchet wheels being located adjacent said cams and being in operative engagement with said pawls, a shaft arranged parallel to said concentric shafts, said shaft having a plurality of cam follower arms, said arms having cam follower rollers corresponding to and engaging said cams, a linkage having a bell-crank lever operatively connected with one of said arms, a flexible push-pull cable, means on said bell-crank lever for operating said cable, a rotatable auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle, said rotatable valve having a lever, said latter lever being connected to said cable for shutting off said valve corresponding to the action of said cams and said arms when the pre selected amount is reached.

2. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having metering and counting means provided with gears and further having a dispensing nozzle provided with a manually operated valve, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value preselccting and shut-off mechanism comprising a plurality of shafts having dials settable by hand and cams and cam follower means corresponding to said dials, means for presetting said shut-01f mechanism for a preselected money value, linkage means operated by said presetting means, a flexible push-pull cable connected to said linkage means, a rotatable auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle, said rotatable valve having a lever, said lever being connected to said cable for shutting off said valve corresponding to the action of said cams and said cam follower means when a preselected amount is reached.

3. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump according to claim 2, said means for presetting said shut-off mechanism for a preselected money value comprising spring-loaded pawls secured to said cams, gears laterally arranged of said cams on said shafts, said gears being freely rotatable and being driven by the gears of said metering and counting device, and ratchet wheels secured to said freely rotatable gears, said ratchet Wheels being located adjacent said cams and being in operative engagement with said pawls.

4. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump according to claim 2, said cam follower means and said linkage means operated by said presetting means comprising a shaft arranged parallel to said hollow shafts, said shaft having a plurality of cam follower arms, said arms having cam follower rollers corresponding to and engaging said cams,

and a linkage having a bell-crank lever operatively connected with one of said arms.

5. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having metering and counting means provided with gears and further having a dispensing nozzle provided with a manually operated valve therein, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value preselecting and shut-off mechanism comprising dials for dollars, dimes and cents, a corresponding plurality of cams and cam follower means, means operated by said cam follower means for shutting off the flow from said pump at a preselected money value, na auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle for causing said manually operated valve therein to be shut off, and mechanical means connecting said cams and said cam follower operated means with said auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle.

6. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having metering and counting means provided with gears and further having a dispensing nozzle provided with a manually operated valve therein, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value preselccting and shut-off mechanism comprising dials for dollars, dimes and cents, a corresponding plurality of cams and cam follower means, means operated by said cam follower means for shutting off the flow from said pump at a preselected money value, idler gears driven by said gears of said means, ratchet and pawl means connecting said cams and said idler gears, an auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle for causing said manually operated valve to be shut oiT, and mechanical means connecting said cam and cam follower operated means with said auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle.

7. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump according to claim 5, and wherein said mechanical means connecting said cam and cam follower operated means with said auxiliary air valve comprises a flexible push-pull cable.

8. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump according to claim 6, and wherein said mechanical means connecting said cam and cam follower operated means with said auxiliary air valve comprises a flexible push-pull cable.

9. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having metering and counting means provided with gears and further having a dispensing nozzle provided with a manually operated valve, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value preselccting and shut-off mechanism comprising a plurality of shafts having dials settable by hand and cam means corresponding to said dials, means for presetting said shut-off mechanism for a preselected money value, linkage means operated by said presetting means, a flexible push-pull cable connected to said linkage means, a rotatable auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle, said rotatable valve having means connected to said cable for shutting off said valve corresponding to the action of said cam means when a preselected amount is reached.

10. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having metering and counting means provided with gears and further havlng a dispensing nozzle provided with a manually operated valve, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value preselecting and shut-off mechanism comprising a plurality of shafts having dials settable by hand and earns corresponding to said dials; means for presetting setting said shut-off mechanism for a preselected money value, said presetting means comprising spring-loaded pawls secured to said cams, gears laterally arranged of said cams on said shafts, said gears being freely rotatable and being driven by said gears of said metering and counting means and ratchet wheels secured to said freely rotatable gears, said ratchet wheels being located adjacent said cams and being in operative engagement with said pawls; linkage means operated by the said presetting means, a push-pull cable connected to said linkage means, said linkage means comprising a shaft arranged parallel to said shafts, said shaft having a plurality of cam follower arms, said arms having cam follower rollers corresponding to and engaging said cams, and a'linkage having a bell-crank lever operatively connected with one of said arms; a rotatable auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle, said rotatable valve having a lever, said latter lever being connected to said cable for shutting off said valve corresponding to the action of said cams and arms when the preselected amount is reached.

11. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having metering and counting means provided with gears and further having a dispensing nozzle provided with a manually operated valve, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value preselecting and shut-off mechanism comprising a plurality of shafts having dials settable by hand and cam means corresponding to said dials, means for presetting said shut-off mechanism for a preselected money value, motion transferring means operated by said presetting means, a flexible push-pull cable connected to said motion transferring means, an auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle, said valve having a lever, said lever being connected to said cable for shutting off said valve corresponding to the action of said cam means when a preselected amount is reached.

12. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having metering and counting means-provided with gears and further having a dispensing nozzle provided with a manually operated valve therein, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value preselecting and shut-off mechanism comprising dials for dollars, dimes and cents, a corresponding plurality of cam means, means operated by said cam means for shutting off the flow 8 from said pump at a preselected money value, an auxiliary air valve'in said dispensing nozzle for causing said manually operated valve therein to be shut 01f, and mechanical means connecting said cam operated means with said auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle.

13. In a liquid fuel dispensing pump having metering and counting means provided with gears and further having a dispensing nozzle provided with a manuall'y operated valve, said dispensing nozzle being connected by a hose with said pump; a money value presclecting and shut-off mechanism comprising a plurality of shafts having dials settable by hand and cam means corresponding to said dials, means for presetting said shut-off mechanism for a preselected money value, motion transferring means operated by said presetting means, a flexible push-pull cable connected to said motion transferring means, an auxiliary air valve in said dispensing nozzle, said auxiliary air valve having means connected to said cable for shutting off said latter valve corresponding to the action of said cam means when a preselected amount is reached.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,228,820 Griffith et a1 Jan. 14, 1941 2,527,703 Oarbonaro Oct. 31, 1950 2,786,600 Myers Mar. 26, 1957 2,797,025 Carriol June 25, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 486,719 Canada Sept. '23, 1952 

